Following replacement

lit-lorn-strait

Dear Geist,
Which is correct: “replaced by” or “replaced with”?
—Alexei, Cyberspace
Dear Alexei,
Either “by” or “with” is fine unless the ambiguity gremlins sneak in. For instance, “the old fridge was replaced by a new one” is technically correct but it can suggest that the new fridge staged a coup, whereas “the old fridge was replaced with a new one” is clear. “The landlord replaced the old fridge with a new one” is even clearer, because it is a good declarative sentence in which someone does something. You’ve probably been told that sentences in the passive voice are to be used sparingly: this is another cautionary example.
— The Editors